Liberal Government has failed Prince Albert Corrections Workers

October 30, 2016

The Phoenix pay system debacle is affecting public servants across the country. And our riding of Prince Albert is not immune.

I stand in solidarity with protesting Corrections workers who have yet to be paid as a result of the Liberal government’s mishandling of the implementation of this new system. The Liberal Minister of Public Works needs to take this issue seriously, take responsibility and help the families who are struggling to make ends meet.

The more than 80,000 public servants affected by the dysfunctional rollout of the Phoenix system do not want excuses. They want the Liberal government to act immediately and pay its employees adequately.

It is truly mind-boggling that the Liberals forced the implementation of a system that was not fully operational, despite the recommendations of senior officials at the Treasury Board Secretariat. This decision jeopardized the financial stability of thousands of public servants.

My office has reached out to constituents who have written or called me on this issue. I have also personally met with union representative Boyd Ward to discuss the plight of many families in our constituency who are suffering as a result of this Liberal mess.

Take for instance the plight of one Corrections worker, who is owed thousands of dollars in back pay while on maternity leave; or the plight of another, who has yet to be compensated for the months of May, June, July, August, or September; or another who cannot acquire the necessary documentation to apply for disability.

Every single federal government worker who resides in my constituency deserves to be paid the money they are owed and receive the documentation they require. I expect the Liberal government to ensure that the public servants’ pay system runs properly. These men and women work hard for Canadians, and they deserve to be paid in a timely fashion.

The federal government doesn’t give its workers (or anyone) a mulligan when it’s owed income taxes. It therefore shouldn’t expect its workers to give it a mulligan when it owes them money they have rightfully earned.